There’s no doubt that Wizkid is doing a great job, it is cynicism for anyone not to praise him for every inroad made. Breaking into new grounds in the American music market is a good fit by a selected, special, hardworking & talented few like him. He’s like the poster child for the Nigerian music industry all over the world. He deserves all the respect due to him for carrying the flag for Afro-beat (although I so disagree with that name tag but that’s a topic for another day) music among the best music purists in the world. For all these reasons, any news concerning him musically will be properly analysed and digested to provide a thesis for those aspiring to follow the path he has created. Those working to chronicle the history of the music industry will also document all his achievements.

Following news concerning his multiple nominations and triple awards which he reportedly won on the basis of his feature on Drake’s ‘One Dance’ at the just concluded 2017 Billboard Music Awards held on the 21th of May at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, I would like to ask some nagging questions: Did Wizkidactually get awarded at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards? Like the
Grammy’s, does Billboard Music Awards give award plaques to artistes featured or co-produced in a song that wins a category?

Prior to the event, I was aware that Billboard put out a Wizkid online banner for fans in categories he was associated with (although that’s a bit strange). There’s also a report that after the event he was sent a congratulatory message. To make sense of all of these, we need answers to those questions raised earlier. It’s been over ten days & we are yet to get answers, voice/video drops or photos from the artiste or Billboard to validate all the reports concerning Wizkid about these awards. I do not doubt the fact that he won the awards or he should be presented with an awards plaque, but considering the amount of work Wizkid has put into all he’s becoming, the PR that ought to follow such achievement should be one hundred percent. We need proof and cannot be contented with assertions of what should be. How I wish Drake did mention and give credit to Wizkid for his contribution while he was on stage to pick his various awards.

As insignificant as that may sound – yes, there could be a long list of folks that contributed to that album and the song ‘One Dance,’ but there’s only one special Kid from Africa on that brief – it wouldn’t hurt to mention the name of Wizkid.

– Sesan Adeniji